1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to an assembly for automatically shifting a bail arm of an automatic ice maker upon repositioning an ice storage bin.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the art of refrigerators, it is widely known to incorporate an automatic ice maker system wherein ice cubes are formed and collected within a storage bin from which the cubes can be accessed either manually or through a dispenser. With such a system, provisions are commonly made to sense the level of ice cubes within the storage bin and to automatically terminate the formation of additional ice cubes until the level falls below a certain height. Typically, the automatic ice maker will have an associated bail arm which is raised and lowered based on the level of the ice in the storage bin. When the bail arm is shifted upward a predetermined distance, the formation of ice will be temporarily terminated. In any event, when it is desired to withdraw the ice storage bin from or subsequently insert the ice bin into the freezer compartment, the bail arm can actually obstruct the movement of the bin.
To address this concern, it has been proposed to enable the bail arm to be raised to and maintained in an upper, non-ice producing position. In this manner, prior to removing the bin, the bail arm need only be manually shifted to this upper position. After the bin is replaced within the freezer, the bail arm can again be lowered to allow the production of more ice. Other arrangements known in the art configure the bin to coact either directly with the bail arm or a sensing member attached to the bail arm in order to at least automatically raise the bail arm upon removal of the bin from the freezer compartment.
Although the prior art discloses ways in which to automatically shift a bail arm of an automatic ice maker out of the way in order to enable an ice storage bin to be slid into and out of a position beneath the ice maker as needed, there still exists a need in the art for an improved bail arm raising apparatus to be used in connection with a slidable ice storage bin. There particularly exists a need for an automatic bail arm raising apparatus used in connection with an ice storage bin that is movably mounted with a pull-out basket or drawer for a refrigerator freezer compartment, wherein the raising apparatus is specifically designed to keep the bail arm above the level of the ice in the bin as the bin is shifted, thereby preventing the bail arm from being dragged through the ice.
The present invention is directed to an assembly for automatically shifting a bail arm of an automatic ice maker upon repositioning an ice storage bin, particularly an ice storage bin carried by a slidable freezer drawer or basket. In the most preferred form of the invention, a refrigerator includes a cabinet defining an upper fresh food compartment and a lower freezer compartment. The lower freezer compartment is provided with at least one drawer or shelf within which food items can be stored. A portion of the drawer is taken up by a ice storage bin or bucket which is adapted to be positioned beneath an automatic ice maker, provided in the freezer compartment, when a door for the freezer compartment is closed. Most preferably, the drawer is constituted by a wire basket supported upon rails. In any event, additionally provided is a device, which can be attached to or formed integral with either the basket or ice bin, for automatically raising the bail arm out of the way whenever the basket and ice bin is shifted relative to the refrigerator cabinet.
In accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the bail arm raising apparatus is located to the rear of the ice bin and includes a wedge member arranged just above a rear wall of the bin, preferably between the bin and the back of the basket. The wedge member defines a frontal wedge portion that generally tapers laterally and rearwardly from a wide section to a narrow section. As the bin is shifted out of the freezer compartment, the bail arm of the ice maker initially engages the wide section of the frontal wedge portion and, as the bin is continually pulled farther from the freezer compartment, the bail arm rides up the frontal wedge portion, whereupon the bail arm can rest upon the raising apparatus. As the bin is still further removed, the bail arm is permitted to ride along an opposing, rear wedge portion of the wedge member. This action is reversed upon sliding the bin back into place beneath the ice maker. That is, when the bin is repositioned within the freezer compartment, the bail arm will be caused to ride up the rear wedge portion in order to raise the bail arm to the top storage level for the ice. As the bin continues back into the freezer compartment, the bail arm will first ride along the raising apparatus and then will be guided downward along the frontal wedge portion, thereby being gently repositioned over the ice bin.
In accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the shape of the bail arm raising apparatus is altered such that the wedge member, in addition to including frontal and rear wedge portions, is provided with an arcuate or curved incline portion. This configuration is considered advantageous when used in connection with an ice maker having a relatively short bail arm as compared to the height of the ice bin. With this arrangement, the bail arm would need to be raised relatively high in order to reach an automatic shut-off position. In accordance with this embodiment, the bail arm will be caused to ride along the incline portion, as well as the frontal and rear wedge portions, upon removing the ice bin from and repositioning the bin into the freezer compartment.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.